Union Minister of State (MoS) of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur has revealed that a decade-long blueprint to revamp the Indian maritime sector, launched by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi under the Maritime India Vision 2030, will uplift the efficiency and the productivity of the Paradip port in Odisha.
Thakur clarified that the government has introduced PPP (Public Private Partnership) mode for infrastructure development government and that there are no intentions of privatising the port. Measures have been taken for the betterment of contractual workers by providing them wages around Rs 4280 per month.
More importantly, he revealed that investments worth Rs 10000 crore will be made by the centre to make the Paradip a ‘clean, green and small’ port, which will be the best one in the eastern coast of the country.
“The Ministry has envisaged a roadmap to double the production, cargo operation and make this the number one port in the country,” Thakur was quoted in a report by the New Indian Express.
He added, “This includes port operational efficiency management, capacity expansion and other developments.”
Meanwhile, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has been directed by the central government to give the road from Dochakki to Atharbanki to the Paradip Port Trust (PPT).
For the betterment of the local area, the minister said that extra pump sets and a desalination plant will be built to deliver drinking water to the residents over there from the local rivers.